Overnight, government authorities in Iraq arrested Kazem “Kaz” Hamad, the alleged kingpin of Australia’s illicit tobacco trade.

Declared by an Iraqi court to be “one of the most dangerous wanted men in the world”, Hamad is the alleged mastermind behind the nation’s raging “tobacco wars”.

This violent and ongoing underworld turf war has featured more than 260 arson attacks, “countless” instances of extortion and intimidation, as well as multiple murders, including of an innocent bystander.

In the process, Hamad allegedly amassed a vast fortune estimated in the billions of dollars.

Hamad’s arrest will no doubt be welcome news to the federal government and the nation’s law enforcement agencies, which have struggled to contain the proliferation of illicit tobacco stores and the violence associated with the trade.

However, even if Hamad is extradited and convicted for his alleged crimes, we should be wary of the likely unintended consequences – the illicit tobacco trade will continue in Australia under new leadership, which could prove more........

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